H.R. 687 constitutes an historic giveaway of U.S. taxpayer assets,
destruction of a Native American Holy Site, and the removal of public
input on the largest block cave mine in North America that will cost the
drought-ridden Southeast Arizona region billions of gallons of water.

Destruction of a Place of Worship. H.R. 687 will transfer 2,400 acres
of the Tonto National Forest (TNF) to a foreign mining joint venture
Rio Tinto and its subsidiary Resolution Copper Mining (RCM) to mine
copper in SE Arizona. The land encompasses Oak Flat, Apache Leap and
surrounding National jewels, currently protected by President
Eisenhower’s Public Lands Order 1229 (1955).

The area is a place of worship for the Apache and Yavapai people. It
is also a place of ancient settlements and burial sites. For centuries,
Native Americans have gone to the Site for prayer, to conduct
ceremonies, and for peace and personal cleansing.

In short order, injecting a mine on these lands will destroy the
plants and medicines that Native people rely upon for ceremonies. In
the long term, the ground will cave in and destroy the area, along with
the Apache and Yavapai religion – a life that their children and
grandchildren will never know.

Earmark / Giveaway to Foreign Mining Interests. As Congress works to
reduce a $16 trillion federal deficit, asking American families to make
sacrifices, H.R. 687 transfers federal lands and $billions in U.S.
assets for pennies on the dollar. The Bill earmarks Rio Tinto Mining
for this giveaway. Section 4(d) diverges from the normal appraisal
process and highly favors Rio Tinto.

The bill provides no guarantees that the copper will be used in the
U.S. Rio Tinto is partnered with Chinalco, owned by the Chinese
government. China is the world’s fastest consumer of copper.

H.R. 687 rewards Rio Tinto, which has refused to cut its existing
ties to the Iran Foreign Investment Company. Rio Tinto and Iran are
partners in a uranium mining operation in Namibia, Africa. (“What
should we make of Iran’s Nuclear Program?” http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3664472.html)

No Transparency or Consultation. H.R 687 mandates the federal land
swap within one-year of enactment. Rio Tinto / RCM will not have to
inform the public about their plans for water, waste disposal, or
impacts on the land prior to the mandatory transfer.

No NEPA. Once in private ownership, H.R. 687 Section 4(j) limits
environmental reviews to “applicable Federal laws”, which rarely apply
to private non-federal lands. Impacted tribes, the local community and
the U.S. will have no say in what is done on the foreign-owned /
privately held lands.

The primary purpose of establishing the TNF in 1905 was to protect
the region’s precious watersheds. The Resolution Copper Project will
strike at the heart of these watersheds, requiring at least 40,000
acre-feet of water each year for decades = 13 BILLION GALLONS OF
WATER/YEAR.

The bill also circumvents the American Indian Religious Freedom Act,
the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and other
laws designed to require consultation with impacted Tribes BEFORE a land
transfer takes place.

The project will destroy a place of worship, all for the purpose of
transferring $billion$ in U.S. Taxpayer assets to a specially selected
foreign-owned mining conglomerate.
$H.R. 687 is a deal that the American Taxpayer cannot afford to make.
VOTE “NO” ON H.R. 687